FRANCE 24 reporters find human rights abuses at Guinea Bissau rehab centre
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Transcript
00:00 Domingos Tei runs one of Guinea-Bissau's only rehab centers.
00:05 The Pentecostal pastor claims to have cured thousands of drug addiction and mental illness
00:10 since 2013.
00:14 All those affected by demons, drugs, alcohol or tobacco, let them be healed in the name
00:19 of Jesus Christ.
00:25 Those suspected of relapsing or planning to run away are either locked in cells or chained
00:30 up.
00:31 One patient, sent here by his own brother less than a month ago, lives in constant fear.
00:40 I don't dare speak because the guard is just behind us.
00:44 He's walking around.
00:45 If he hears me speaking he'll torture us once you leave.
00:48 Do you understand?
00:49 I don't want to suffer like this.
00:51 They haven't even done any blood tests to see if I have health problems.
00:55 If there were tests, they'd know which medication to give me.
01:02 Patients say beatings are frequent.
01:04 As we prepared to leave, this young man was accused of smoking a cigarette.
01:09 He was later dragged in chains to a dark cell.
01:13 We showed the footage to Mamadou Ayoudjalo, who runs a public health NGO working with
01:18 drug addicts in Bissau.
01:21 It's not acceptable.
01:23 It's very shocking from a human rights standpoint, especially for people who need medical and
01:29 psychological and social care.
01:34 We raised concerns about conditions at the centre with Domingos Te.
01:39 He told us he's doing God's work and that the patients are only chained up when they
01:42 pose a risk to others.
01:45 After seeing our footage, the UN Human Rights Office is now calling for an official investigation
01:51 into the centre.
01:52 (audience laughing)